Continuous loop cooling for an electronic device

ABSTRACT

A continuous loop of thermally conductive material is provided with a first portion in frictional contact with a casing of an electronic device and a second portion located within a cooling region. The loop is advanced such that the first portion is located within the cooling region and the second portion is in frictional contact with the casing.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of computers andmore particularly to cooling of computer components.

Direct access storage devices (DASDs) are increasing in power and as aresult are emitting more electromagnetic interference. In order to passelectromagnetic compatibility these DASDs require additional protectionwhich drastically decreases airflow to the DASDs.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method for cooling an electronicdevice. The method includes providing a continuous loop of thermallyconductive material in a first position. A first portion of the loop inthe first position is in frictional contact with a casing of theelectronic device and a second portion of the loop in the first positionis located within a cooling region. The method further includesadvancing the loop to a second position. The first portion of the loopin the second position is located within the cooling region and thesecond portion of the loop in the second position is in frictionalcontact with the casing of the electronic device.

Also disclosed herein are embodiments of an apparatus for cooling anelectronic device. The apparatus includes a thermally conductivematerial forming a continuous loop which is configured to be partiallyin frictional contact with a casing of an electronic device andpartially located within a cooling region. The apparatus also includes adriving device. The driving device configured to advance portions of theloop between the casing and the cooling region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts a side view of an example apparatus for coolingelectronic devices.

FIG. 1B depicts a top view of an example apparatus for coolingelectronic devices.

FIG. 2 depicts a second example apparatus for cooling electronicdevices.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of an example method for coolingelectronic devices.

FIG. 4 depicts an example graph of the effective thermal transport basedon the velocity at which a loop of conductive material slides across acasing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the current invention may allow for the cooling of anelectronic device by sliding a thermally conductive material across thesurface of the casing of the electronic device. The electronic devicemay be a direct access storage device (DASD) or any other electronicdevice. A flexible thermally conductive material may form a continuousloop. The loop may be partially in frictional contact with the casing ofan electronic device and partially located within a cooling region. Theloop may be driven such that the portions of the loop move between beingin frictional contact with the electronic device and being within thecooling region. Heat may be transferred from the casing of theelectronic device to the loop as it moves across the casing of theelectronic device and may be dissipated from the loop as it passesthrough the cooling region. In some embodiments, the loop may slideacross the surface of more than one electronic device casing.

The electronic device casing and the loop may be designed to allow goodthermal transfer while limiting the amount of frictional heat produced.The casing may provide a low friction surface and may be shaped to allowfor sliding the loop across its surface. For example, the casing mayhave rounded edges to facilitate sliding around the casing. The materialpairing between the casing and the loop may be chosen to have a lowcoefficient of kinetic friction between their surfaces. In one example,the casing surface may be made of polished steel and the loop may bemade of copper with the combination having a coefficient of kineticfriction of less than or equal to 0.36.

Several factors may influence the thermal transport of the system suchas the force applied between the loop and the casing, the surface areain contact between the loop and the casing, the velocity of the loopacross the casing, and the frictional coefficient between the loop andthe surface of the casing. A higher applied force between the loop andthe casing may result in more heat produced as a result of friction, butmay also result in better contact for heat transfer between the loop andthe casing. Similarly, a greater surface area in contact may result inmore heat produced as a result of friction but may also increase thetransfer of heat between the loop and the casing. Additionally, anoptimal velocity may exist for sliding the loop across the surface ofthe casing as both thermal transport and heat produced due to frictionmay increase with increasing velocity. Further, the frictionalcoefficient between the loop and the casing may influence the heatproduced due to friction. These factors may be adjusted to impact theoverall thermal transport effectiveness of the system.

The loop may be supported using any method which allows the loop to bedriven across the casing and through the cooling region. In someembodiments, the loop may be held in place by one or more rolling pins.These pins may be placed such that a portion of the loop may passthrough the cooling area multiple times as it is driven before returningto contact with the casing.

The loop may be driven using any method. In some embodiments, frictionalrollers may drive the loop. The outer surface of the loop may be maderough or may contain a material which has a high coefficient of staticfriction with the surface of the frictional roller. In some embodiments,the loop may be driven by a gear with teeth which associate with teethon the outer side of the loop. The loop may be driven continuously inthe same direction. The loop may be driven at a constant speed.

The cooling region may be any region which allows portions of the loopto dissipate heat. The system may be designed with the cooling region oran existing system may be adapted to include a cooling region using oneor more dedicated slots. In some embodiments the cooling region may bean airflow region with flowing air produced by a fan or other method. Inother embodiments, the cooling region may use a liquid cooling method.For example, the cooling region may contain water.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a side view of an example apparatus 100 forcooling electronic devices is depicted. The electronic device may be anyelectronic device such as a DASD. A loop of flexible thermallyconductive material 110 is partially in frictional contact with casing120 of an electronic device and partially runs through a cooling region140. Rolling pins 130 may keep loop 110 in place and allow loop 110 tobe driven across casing 120 and through cooling region 140. Loop 110 maybe driven by a driving device 150.

Loop 110 may be made of any flexible thermally conductive material suchas copper. Casing 120 may be made of any material. In some embodiments,loop 110 is made of copper and casing 120 is made of polished steel.These embodiments may allow for a low coefficient of kinetic frictionbetween loop 110 and casing 120. Rolling pins 130 may be made of anymaterial and may rotate as loop 110 is driven. Cooling region 140 may bean airflow region with moving air. The moving air may be produced from afan or any other method.

Driving device 150 may be any device which may drive portions of theloop across casing 120 and through cooling region 140. Driving device150 may move loop 110 at a constant velocity. In some embodiments,driving device 150 is a gear with teeth which is rotated. In theseembodiments, the outer surface of loop 110 may also contain teeth whichinteract with the teeth of driving device 150.

Referring to FIG. 1B, a top view of example apparatus 100 is depicted.As shown, the top portion of loop 110 is partially in frictional contactwith casing 120 and partially within cooling region 140. Loop 110 may besupported by rolling pin 130. Driving device 150 is associated with loop110 to drive it.

Referring to FIG. 2, a second example apparatus 200 for coolingelectronic devices is depicted. Similar to apparatus 100 depicted inFIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a loop 210 of thermally conductive material ispartially in frictional contact with an electronic device casing 220 andpartially within a cooling region 240. In this embodiment, there arefour rolling pins supporting loop 210. This may allow for the loop tohave more material in cooling region 240. A portion of loop 210 mayspend a larger amount of time in cooling region 240 as it is driven bydriving device 250 and may allow for more cooling of portions of loop210 after absorbing heat from casing 220.

Referring to FIG. 3, a flow diagram 300 of an example method for coolingelectronic devices is depicted. At step 310, a loop of thermallyconductive material is provided in a first position. In the firstposition, a first portion of the loop may be in frictional contact withthe casing of an electronic device and a second portion of the loop maybe located within a cooling region. At step 320, the loop is advanced toa second position. In the second position, the first portion of the loopmay be located within the cooling region and the second portion of theloop may be in frictional contact with the casing. At step 330, the loopis advance to the first position again. The method may continue betweensteps 320 and 330 and continuously move between the first and the secondposition. The loop may be driven at a constant speed to advance betweenthe first and the second position.

Referring to FIG. 4, an example graph of the effective thermal transportbased on the velocity at which a loop of conductive material slidesacross a casing is depicted. As shown, there may be an optimal velocityat which the loop is advanced to cool the device casing. The frictionalheat produced may be greater at higher velocity. Thus, although thethermal transport may increase with velocity, the effective thermaltransport may be reduced by the frictional heat generated. Eventually,increases in velocity may result in more frictional heat produced thanremoved through thermal transport.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for cooling a direct access storagedevice, the apparatus comprising: a thermally conductive materialforming a continuous loop configured to be partially in frictionalcontact with a casing of the direct access storage device and partiallylocated within a cooling region; and a driving device, the drivingdevice configured to advance portions of the loop between the casing andthe cooling region.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:rolling pins supporting the loop.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinairflow is provided through the cooling region.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the thermally conductive material is made of copper. 5.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is made of steel.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive material is madeof copper and the casing is made of steel.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the driving device is a gear and wherein the loop comprisesteeth which associate with the gear.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the driving device is a frictional roller.